How Many Birds At Your House?

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Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture
How Many Birds At Your House?

Hi everyone,

I'm curious to see how many bird species everyone has recorded at their homes to date. I have recently added White-headed Pigeon and Collared Sparrowhawk to my list (first I've recorded at my place). It is now 50 species since October 2014 and 55 altogether (in past 4 and a bit years). It may not sound like loads but for an urban (ish) area it's not too bad. It includes anything within about 200m or so around the house.

Before October I recorded 5 others (Leaden Flycatcher, Red-browed Finch, Superb Fairy-wren, Scarlet Robin, Eastern Yellow Robin). A few Leaden's and one Scarlet Robin were migrating/moving through in autumn 2014 and have only been seen once. An Eastern Yellow Robin was seen once in 2013 but not recorded since. We used to get Superb Fairy-wrens often (including the backyard) but I have not recorded them since about early 2014. During a very wet period (around 2013-2014) Red-browed Finches came in large flocks even to the back door and I did see them often before then. Perhaps they come up from the creek when conditions are good. It will be interesting to see if/when these species come back.

What about you?

timmo
timmo's picture

I just had a run-through of what birds I have seen at my place (or heard very nearby) and get to just under 25, so I am very impressed with your 55.

I suspect it depends to a great deal on the size of your block and what surrounds it. I am on a block of about 560m2 in suburban Brisbane where I would daily see noisy miners, pied butcherbirds, rainbow lorikeets, magpies, pied currawongs and Torresian crows, while any other species are much less common.

I have seen a larger variety of birds in the bushland about 500m away, but they don't venture much out of that.

What sort of surrounds do other people have?

Cheers
Tim
Brisbane

GregL
GregL's picture

I live on a farm north of bathurst, I have recorded about 85 species at my place, about 65 of them regular visitors or resident.

I often see yellow robins when I visit the upper blue mts, they are easy to spot if you know their call. I saw a bassian finch on a walk to the ruined castle.

Owl of Kedumba
Owl of Kedumba's picture

Interesting Timmo, thanks. My place is a small block surrounded by similar sized blocks to the south and a horse paddock and concrete plant to the north. Although it is near the highway, the surrounding area has many large hollow-bearing trees, but has a very weedy understory (good cover for small-insecting birds). Nearest intact bushland is about 200m away.

Greg that's a good list, do you have lots of bush around your place?

I see and hear Eastern Yellow Robins all the time - just not at my place! I don't think they're keen on the dense privet/hawthorn etc.

Do you mean Bassian Thrush? They are common here especially along walking tracks on the cliffs, rainforest areas and in the valleys. On some walks I find it hard not to see them.

Woko
Woko's picture

Twenty eight years of living on the s.e. slopes of the Mt Lofty Ranges in SA have netted 144 species. But I'm not sure that this figure means all that much. Some species (e.g., White-fronted Chat, Australian Pipit) have disappeared now that our revegetation & bushcare efforts have matured; two species (African Peach-faced Lovebird, Java Sparrow) were escapees; several are resident or near resident ferals (House Sparrow, European Goldfinch, Common Blackbird, Common Starling); three flew over during severe flooding (White-necked Heron, Black Swan, Cape Barren Goose); a few have put in one appearance only (e.g., Regent Parrot, Black-tailed Native Hen, Black Falcon); one was the result of an irruption (Yellow-plumed Honeyeater) & many are migratory (e.g., Red-browned Finch, Rufous Songlark, White-winged Triller).

There's no doubt increasing richness of habitat has resulted in an increasing diversity of bird life during those twenty eight years but both number of species & populations fluctuate considerably. Trying to make sense of it all, especially with climate change entering the equation, occupies a stimulating part of most days.

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